The Meaning of Lyfe – Lyfe Jennings

Posted On 10 Aug 2005 / 0 Comment

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Life is what this alternative rhythm and blues artist delivers to the world. A celebrated singer/songwriter/producer, Chester “Lyfe” Jennings, a 27-year-old Toledo, Ohio native and self-taught musician plays the guitar, bass and piano. Lyfe incorporates these and other live instrumentation into most of the tracks he produces.

You’re playing a few outdoor events this year. Do you like playing outdoor events?

Definitely, man. I usually play inside, but it seems like when you play outside there are a lot more people and you can see a lot further. When you’re inside those theaters and they shine that light in your face, you can’t even see the crowd. When you’re outside you can see everybody respond.

Do you like the acoustics of outdoor shows?

I like the acoustics indoors better because it’s a more concentrated sound. But I like the feel of outdoors because I can see the crowd.

How do you come up with your lyrics?

It’s really just my life story, man. I’ve either experienced it directly or indirectly from my family and friends.

You’re self-taught on guitar. How did you get interested in guitar?

I was incarcerated. There was no other instrument that they would allow you to have in. So, I was drawn to it by that.

Do you have a favorite guitar you like to play?

It don’t really matter. I think the person makes the guitar.

Besides writing the lyrics, do you write the music as well? Or do you like to work collaboratively?

I prefer to do it myself. That way I can take as long or short as I like to.

When you were young you started singing in a church choir. What influence did gospel music have on you?

I think for the most part, it made you sing with feeling. It made you concentrate on vocally capturing what the word means, as opposed to just singing some lyrics.

Was religion a big part of your life growing up?

To the extent that every other child’s life it is, you know. My mom made us go to church. At times it was rewarding for me, and at times it wasn’t.

You mentioned earlier you were incarcerated. Other than the obvious, what kind of influence did it have on your music as an artist?

I definitely made me concentrate on specifics. When I got out in the world I realized everything was so superficial, and that’s how you really get on radio – superficial stuff that bides your time. But in prison you’re separated from the outside world, so everything is more introverted. You try to talk in depth about things.

How were you able to spin that experience into a positive influence?

When you become a man you need to start realizing that negative stuff may get you with some shot down real quick but it don’t last long. A lot of the stuff takes a while to acquire, but for some reason when you get it, it lasts that lifetime.

How did you eventually get the attention of a major record label?

I went to the Apollo and won on air a couple of times. There was definitely a buzz about me from there. I really just stayed in New York. I did every open mic in the world, every club there was to do, every contest there was. Cats just became familiar with me. I didn’t lose one contest. Pretty good track record. I think so. (laughs)

Do you feel it was important for you to go to New York to pursue your career?

I think it was important for me, specifically, but I don’t think it’s the only place that it can happen. I know for a fact now, a lot of people just can’t pick up and go to New York. They sometimes become discouraged, but in reality you’re gonna blow up where you’re at. Make the most noise that you can where you’re at. Then people are going to come and holler at you.

How has some of the modern gadgetry we have readily available now positively or negatively affected the way you get your music out?

There are pros and cons to everything. The pros are it’s a lot easier to get your music introduced into different mediums and formats. You’ve got coffee houses who are sponsoring music now, but it also has gotten to the point in music on the negative side where you have a lot of artists who try to milk the system, so to speak for all the money they can by endorsing products into the music on purpose. To me it kind of demeans the music. When I hear somebody’s music talk about I drove to McDonald’s and I know they’re doing that for endorsement purposes.

Do you think there’s a lot of shallowness in the music industry amongst artists?

No. I don’t think there’s any more shallowness in this field than any other field. I just think that radio, and as far as video goes they tend to go with trends. Obviously the kids are the ones giving them their ratings. They’ve obviously got their demographics. They have their own agenda.

Do you worry about major corporations who try to buy into what you or other artists like you’re doing so they can cash in on a particular trend?

Definitely. That’s the nature of business. I definitely understand that I am a business out to profit – not necessarily just financial, but through media attention, too. Everything that’s hot at the time, whether it be me or it be a car, they’re going to go after it. But I don’t think that lessens my music, and I don’t think that lessens their business strategy. I think it’s an even exchange. All I can do is try to create a positive role model through music, and therefore through them help sustain it. Obviously they have more dollars – therefore they have more influence. So you partnership this, because it’s going to happen anyway.

Would you say there’s a common theme to your music?

Yeah, definitely – especially for this album. The common theme is that a person can make some mistakes early in life to where everybody else tells you it’s over. But you can come back from that. It doesn’t have to be successful to the point of getting a record deal like that; it can be you’re successful in your sister’s life, a child’s life, or your mom’s life. You can have success in other things that don’t have to be connected to getting some money.

How was it like working on your latest album compared to your first time in the studio?

For me, the only difference was I had more equipment to work with, so I could actually hear how it was going to sound. That was one problem I always had when I was independent. It never sounded like the song on the radio because the mixes weren’t done by professional people. I get the opportunity now to hear how it’s going to sound without having to guess.

Do you find yourself being more mature in the studio now than when you were independent?

Yeah. I think with anything, if you lack information your completion of the project is always going to be less. By me being in the studio and seeing how things work, naturally your product’s going to get better.

Do you worry about revealing too much of yourself in your music, or do you consider it a form of therapy?

Definitely a form of therapy. I don’t rally worry about that. I don’t even think about that when I’m writing if I’m revealing too much. The first thing that comes to my mind I try to write down.

In the years to come what would you like new artists to learn from Lyfe?

Hard work definitely pays off. Things with meaning last. You can get a it single –and there are plenty of cats that are one-hit wonders. If you want a career that’ll last do something that’s going to make people emotional that’s going to have cats learning something. Also give them a point where they can learn from. As long as they have something to gain from you in the future, when you remain influential in the future. Don’t just do something for today, so something for the future.